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73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good stroller, but a very rough ride on brick sidewalks, July 16, 2009
There are a lot of things to love about this stroller. For me, the best thing is that it's one of the few strollers designed for tall people. The handle extends to a reasonable length for a 6'4" person. There is no through-axle, but instead an arch that gives plenty of space for your feet when walking. On other strollers I'd end up kicking the stroller when walking.
Another major point in favor of the Vista is that it allows for the baby to be rear-facing, even in the seat. This way you can talk to the little guy or girl while walking with them, and apparently research has shown this interaction to be important. I'm not sure it will ever make a difference in their development, in all honesty, but it's just really nice to be able to see and interact your kid while you're walking with them.
Unfortunately, there is one major design flaw in this stroller that causes me to knock off a couple stars: the front "suspension" is terribly designed. The spring is far too heavy, and it takes me putting my (considerable) weight on the stroller to even begin to compress the front springs. Given that the wheels are made of very hard foam, the result is that the ride is extremely harsh when the stroller is in rear-facing mode such that the baby's weight (not to mention head) is over the front wheels. This isn't a big deal on smooth surfaces, but my poor kid gets bounced around quite a bit on the brick sidewalks where we live. So much so that he was grabbing the sides of the stroller. It's so bad that I have to avoid certain streets where we live. I certainly expected better engineering from such an expensive stroller.
Another design desision which I question is the fact that even at the most upright setting, the baby is declined at a 45 degree angle, making it hard for him/her to see out.
Another reason I can't give this a better rating is that the construction is a rather low-quality in areas. For example, both our wheels wobble. In fact, the fit and finish on most of the stroller is a lacking, with rivets and attachments loose and a lot of play in everything. For example, the seat frame is in two halves, with the two aluminum parts attached to a plastic center bracket with cheap rivets. Those have come loose, and now the seat is starting to "recline" a bit on its own. All in all, a very disappointing experience to have with a stroller that cost this much. My personal guess is that when you buy this stroller, most of your money is going into paying Massachusetts taxes, as this company made the poor decision to base themselves in one of the most expensive states in the country in which to do business. (I know, I live here, too, unfortunately.)
UPDATE: After six months of use, the stroller continues to fall apart. The wheels have developed flat spots (so much for foam being more robust), and are getting more wobbly. The frame is becoming somewhat loose. Nothing that affects safety, I don't believe, but it's very frustrating to pay this much for a product so cheaply made. This is a lot of expensive aluminum held together with very cheap plastic. Our baby seems to be mostly happy with the stroller, but often strains to try to see out given the recline of the seat. Had we to do this over again, we'd go with another brand, probably the Bugaboo.
FINAL UPDATE: I've noticed that most of the reviews here, especially the glowing ones, are from parents who don't even mention how their baby reacts to the stroller. Some haven't even had their kid yet! It's all about them; they love the cupholder, or the look, or the convience of the folding. Folks, the stroller is for the kid, not you. It's great that you like it, and important as well, but the most important thing is that it works for your child. Please consider things like how it rides and the seating position, while you're also worrying about the cupholders and color.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Stroller for Tall People, February 23, 2009
Well we went to 4 different stores and tried every stroller possible.
Our Top Three Picks for tall people:
(1) UppaBaby Vista
(2) Bugaboo Chameleon
(3) Peg Perego Skate
All 3 have handles long enough for a 6'6'' guy. But, the Uppababy handles actually were about an inch or so higher all the way across and it had a curved bar at the bottom so your feet wouldn't kick it as you pushed. The other two had straight bars on the bottom that were very easy to kick.
Of the three brands, Uppababy was the only one that had solid all terrain tires instead of air filled.
The Uppababy had a separate bassinet, whereas the other two you convert the bassinet into the toddler seat.
The Chameleon and the Uppababy were quite easy to fold down. I felt the Chameleon was a little lighter for lifting from ground to trunk. The Skate was not too hard to fold, but there were several buttons so it took more steps than either of the other two.
I would have been happy with any of the three brands and think for tall people, any one of them would work. But ultimately, my husband just loved the extra handle space and the curved bar at the bottom on the Uppa enough to make that one by far his favorite and at 6'6'' - every extra inch on that handle bar is valuable!
Other Contenders for tall people:
(4) Quinny Buzz
I loved the buzz and it might have been my top choice if I had not been shopping with my husband. I loved the great maneuverability, the lightness of the frame, the texture of the fabric and the colors. The downsides - the handle was not as long as the three above, but it was long and I believe it would work for someone 6'4'' or shorter. It didn't have as nice a basket as the others. I did like its breaking mechanism. Overall, I thought it was zippy and easy to use and fun.
(5) Orbit
We ruled out the Orbit because I felt it was too heavy and would be hard for me to move in and out of the car, but it also had long handles. My DH thought it's breaking mechanism looked cheap, but admired the technology of its seat turning system. It looked very easy to move from the stroller to the car seat and back - if weight was not an issue for you. This would be a nifty stroller for someone with good upper body strength.
(6) Stokke Xplory
As for the Stokke - I thought it would be the tallest, but it actually wasn't. We found it hard to fold (neither shop attendant could get it closed) and it was bulky when folded. The seat material seemed cheap and like it would be difficult to keep clean. On the plus side - it would be nice to have the baby up that high and close to you. I liked the idea of the Stokke, but thought the execution was cheap.
Unfortunately, NONE of the lighter weight strollers had long enough handles and enough foot room for my husband. Very disappointing. In any case we are going for the Uppababy Vista. It was by far the best option available in the 4 stores we went through!
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing stroller - great improvements for 2009, October 28, 2008
I did a LOT of research before getting my stroller. I had decided to get the Cameleon, because I had tested the 2008 Vista and didn't like it as much as the Cameleon. I actually went into the store to purchase the Bugaboo but came out with the Vista! I saw the 2009 Vista and fell in love with it, after 90 minutes of trying them both, asking millions of questions and thinking it over and over... I decided to get this one, it was a very close call. It has a lot of the benefits of the Bugaboo, it handles just as well, but I chose it over the Bug for these reasons:
1. It's a much better value, you get a separate bassinet (I was going to purchase an extra Cameleon frame for $135 to be able to switch without swaping fabrics), and several accesories. You don't need snow tires (bugaboo's are $89) because the front tires are bigger and more rugged.
2. It's not so common, at least where I live eeeveryone has a Bugaboo. Other accesories aren't as expensive (i.e. the travel bag is $60 vs. the $160 Bugaboo travel bag)
3. The company is known for their amazing customer service. And they're very environmentally conscious.
4. With the new Rumble seat coming out next spring, it can turn into a double stroller, which means I'll get a lot more use out of it and may even be able to skip purchasing another stroller when baby #2 comes along.
5. The seat is higher, so farther from fumes, pets, and closer to table level and mom (no bending over).
6. The canopy is wonderful, really covers the sun from any angle with the pull out sun hood. Tha Bug's is pretty crappy, hence the need for $30 parasol.
7. More user friendly, you can recline the seat with one hand, and open the bumper bar from one side. And although I don't find the fold of the Cameleon hard, this one is easier (my DH was annoyed about the 2 part fold of the Bug).
Now, what I like better about the Cameleon is that is has more suspension, and that the seat can come to a fully upright position, and fully flat.
I've just had it for 2 days but I'm loving almost every aspect of it, it handles amazingly both indoors and out. We have terrible sidewalks and pavement, and it does great. I took it to Whole Foods and it fit through the tiny tiny checkout aisles easier than my Graco because it's easier to maneuver. It trully can be pushed with one hand and turns on a dime! Crowded aisles at the grocery store were no problem. It is a little less wide than the 2008 (just a tad wider than the Bug), and I walked with friends and their strollers today and we all fit perfectly on the sidewalk without bumping into each other. Also the fabrics are much nicer now and the seat is so comfy my 9 month old took a 90 minute nap in it today, in the other stroller he couldn't sleep more than 20-30 minutes. Of course the basket is great and easily accesible, I fit my diaper bag, everyone's coat and still have room to spare.
It takes up less space than my Graco in the trunk, and since it stands when folded I don't have to bend over. It's also lighter than a lot of other Bugaboo-ish strollers and other full size strollers. Really, for all it has, 24 lb is a very decent weight (it's only like 2 lb heavier than the Cameleon).
Now what I don't like, and the reason I'm not giving it 5 stars:
1. The seat recline: It doesn't come to fully upright and my baby hates this. I've read a lot of reviews for the previous model and this one is a common issue, I cannot believe they didn't think of improving this for the 2009. At the store it didn't seem so bad, but now my baby looks really reclined to me, and since the bottom of the seat is also at an angle it's hardo for him to pull himself up using the bumper bar. I was actually awake half the night wondering if I made the right choice because of this. I hope my baby get's used to it soon, or I'll have to put a pillow or something behind him. This is the main issue I have with the stroller.
2. The ride is bumpier than I expected (although it is way way better than our Graco and my friends' Pliko P3's). I wish it had more suspension and the wheels were less rigid to absorb more shock.
3. This is a minor issue but the rain cover doesn't fit the bassinet, they should make a cover for the bassinet. I'm thinking of buying the Mutsy one, I think it should fit the Vista bassinet. Oh, and as with every high end stroller the cup holder is extra ($25).
I do, overall love this stroller and I hate myself for not getting it sooner (but then of course I wouldn't have the 2009!)
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